


Living, Not Just Surviving

by jennarem



Series: Glee Hunger Games AU [1]
Category: Glee, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-02-10 03:34:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 10,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2009370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennarem/pseuds/jennarem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt Hummel, a slight boy from District 8, knows that his chances of surviving the Hunger Games are near zero. But when he finds himself in an unlikely alliance with the skilled Career tribute Sebastian, he begins to realize that perhaps there are some things ultimately more important than survival.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Previously posted on my [Tumblr.](https://thelegendofjenna.tumblr.com/writing)

Kurt’s lungs ached and his leg muscles burned as he ran through the foliage. He pushed himself to keep running, adrenaline still rushing through his veins and the fear and horror at what he’d just seen spurring him onward.

At least he’d survived the bloodbath.

He’d known from the beginning that he wasn’t going to make off with much from the Cornucopia. His mentor had told him as much. He wasn’t a fighter, wasn’t a Career. He was just a poor, underfed boy who’d been picked at the reaping and had no one to take his place. He didn’t excel in any skill that would let him win the Games. He was just hoping he could hide and die in a less-than-horrible way.

But now was not the time for such thoughts. He continued on into the leafy, moist forest.

A few minutes later, he heard something. A rustling behind him, following him. He panicked, reaching for the knife on his belt which he’d managed to pick up on his way away from the Cornucopia. He didn’t know what was behind him-tribute or animal, friend or foe. He almost laughed at that thought. He didn’t have any friends in this game.

As he turned around, though, holding the knife and hoping he could defend himself, his foot got caught on a tree root. He stumbled, flailed wildly, and fell backwards, knocking the wind out of him.

He could see the sun shining through the leafy canopy above him. The rustling came closer. He thought about trying to get up, but then asked himself, _why bother?_ To put off dying for another few days? Hours? Minutes? What guaranteed he could outrun whoever was behind him, anyway? It was useless. He squeezed his eyes shut, not even wanting to know who his killer would be.

He heard the rustling reach him, and then stop. He heard heavy breathing above him. _This is the end_ , he thought.

“Hey.”

Kurt was confused. His attacker was speaking to him. Why was he still alive? Curiosity took over, and he opened his eyes.

Standing over him, holding a club, was the boy tribute from Four. Sebastian.

“You’re a fast runner,” Sebastian commented. “Pretty impressive for an outlying district.”

Kurt didn’t know what to do. He was scared and so, so confused.

Sebastian raised one of his eyebrows. “Come on, don’t just lie there gaping like a fish out of water. Get up.” Sebastian held out his hand, offering it to Kurt.

Kurt shook his head. “What are you doing?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to make an alliance. Will you get up now, or do I have to carry you?”

Kurt slowly pushed himself up, ignoring Sebastian’s hand. “An alliance?”

“Yes, sweetcheeks, an alliance,” Sebastian repeated, smirking. Kurt noticed his piercing green eyes.

“Why me?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian leaned forward, and Kurt flinched. Sebastian laughed. “Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you. Anyway…I only accept the best for allies.” Sebastian looked up and down Kurt, his eyes lingering. “And you, my friend, are the second sexiest tribute. After me. So you’ll do.”

Kurt’s eyebrows shot up, his jaw slipping open. Sebastian chuckled, turning and starting to head further into the forest. “Hurry up,” he called over his shoulder. “Your face won’t be nearly as pretty if another tribute comes and bloodies it up.”

Kurt shut his mouth, still in shock, but hurried after Sebastian.

This was going to be interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

“Aren’t you a Career?”

Kurt trudged along behind Sebastian. The trees were thick and the ground was becoming soft and wet. They avoided the mud when they could, trying not to leave tracks.

Sebastian turned back to look at him. “What do you mean? I’m with you, aren’t I?”

Kurt shook his head. “I mean, you’re from District 4. You should be allied with the other Career districts.”

Sebastian stopped suddenly and turned around. For a second Kurt was scared that someone had found them, but he realized that Sebastian’s bright eyes were fixed unwaveringly on him, his expression guarded. “I _should_ not be anything. I can do whatever the fuck I want.” His expression softened, and he grinned slyly. “Including you. Now stop asking dumb questions, pretty boy.”

Then he was off, walking again. Kurt blinked, unsure of what to do. He couldn’t tell whether allying himself with Sebastian was going to come back to bite him in the ass. Then again, Sebastian hadn’t really given him much choice in the matter.

As they walked, Kurt counted the canons shots, signaling the end of any violence around the Cornucopia. Ten, meaning that fourteen tributes remained. He and Sebastian had not run into any others.

Kurt’s legs ached from fatigue and he was sweating profusely. When Sebastian had felt sufficiently overheated he’d solved the problem by pulling off his jacket and shirt and stuffing them in his backpack, leaving his torso completely exposed. Kurt lacked the sort of confidence necessary for taking off his clothing when he knew the whole country was watching.

Finally, Sebastian seemed to find a spot worthy of stopping to rest. The muddy terrain finally led up to a pool of water. Sebastian pulled off his backpack, revealing his muscled shoulders, and unzipped it.

“What supplies do you have?” Sebastian asked authoritatively.

“Um,” Kurt said, glancing down. “A knife.”

“And?” Sebastian prompted, reaching into his bag and rummaging around in it.

“That’s all,” Kurt answered.

Sebastian stood up straight and turned to look Kurt in the eye. For a moment, his expression was unreadable. “Well,” he said finally. “You’re lucky you’ve got me.”

The two boys sat and drank water from the pond, after it was purified by the filter in Sebastian’s backpack. They didn’t speak. Kurt sat and wondered why all of this was happening. Why had Sebastian sought him out, instead of staying safely with the Careers? Where were the other tributes? How long did Kurt have to live?

Sebastian had told him not to ask anymore questions, but it was awfully hard.

Just as Kurt began to open his mouth to let some of his questions out, Sebastian tensed up. “What was that?” the boy asked. Kurt shrugged-he hadn’t heard anything.

Sebastian put his finger to his lips and reached for his club, which he’d set down on the ground. Kurt curled his fingers around his knife, feeling his heart rate increase.

Then Kurt did hear a noise-a rustling, reminiscent of the sound Sebastian had made while following him. Rustling again, getting closer. And breathing. Kurt could hear someone besides himself and Sebastian breathing.

Across the pond, a tall figure broke through the foliage and stumbled towards them.


	3. Chapter 3

Both Sebastian and Kurt sprang to their feet as soon as the boy entered their sight. Kurt recognized him immediately-he was the brutish tribute from District Seven. David Karofsky. He’d been a volunteer, and his whole campaign had been based on his hulking appearance and evident strength and ruthlessness. He’d appeared in Kurt’s post-reaping nightmares more than once.

Kurt’s fear was only slightly subdued by the fact that a)he had Sebastian next to him, wielding the club and b)the pond separated them from Karofsky, meaning that unless he had a long-range weapon they had time to escape.

However, Karofsky looked just as surprised to have run in to other tributes as they were. His face was pale and lacked its mask of ferocity. He did not look like a hunter stalking his prey- he looked like a deer in headlights.

That’s when Kurt noticed the knife sticking out of Karofsky’s left shoulder.

There was a moment of strained silence as the three of them stared at eachother across the pond. Kurt saw that Karofsky had no supplies, just the clothes on his back. His face was plastered with sweat and blood was seeping through his shirt.

Then Karofsky quickly reached up and pulled the knife out of his flesh, releasing the flow of blood it had been staunching; he gripped the knife covered in his own blood and threw it with all of his depleted strength.

Kurt ducked on instinct, hearing the knife whiz by him and clatter somewhere behind him. When he looked back up Karofsky was scowling, blood now streaming down his side from his wound. The large boy stepped towards them, then began to run around the pond, grimacing.

“ _Run_ ,” Sebastian ordered, and Kurt didn’t need telling twice. He turned and began to sprint back into the forest, Sebastian picking up the backpack and following close behind.

They ran until Kurt couldn’t breath anymore, stumbling along as they went, jumping over roots and debris. Kurt lead the way, zigzagging wildly, remembering how to throw off a pursuer from his training. Finally Kurt fell to his knees, utterly out of energy. Sebastian stood behind him, gasping. They took a moment to find their breath again.

“Did we…lose him?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian nodded. “Yeah, we…we’re safe. He can’t catch up…not with that wound.”

Kurt nodded, letting the tension in his shoulders relax. He found himself thinking that while he was glad that they’d been able to outrun Karofsky, he was relieved more so that it hadn’t come to a fight. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of him killing someone. He knew he might have to, but he desperately hoped that he could avoid it. And murdering someone who was wounded…

“He won’t last long,” Sebastian commented. “The blood loss is going to get to him. And he didn’t have any sort of supplies.”

“Maybe he has good sponsors,” Kurt said.

Sebastian shook his head. “They’d have to send him a medic in person to reverse that kind of damage.”

Kurt smirked slightly at the image of a doctor riding one of the silver parachutes down into the forest. He sighed. “What now?”

Sebastian licked his lips. “Now…we find shelter.”

Kurt nodded, glad that Sebastian was taking control and making the plans. Kurt was already too weary to do such things. He just wanted a task to take care of to distract him from the fact that he was likely going to die within the next few days. “Can we rest for another minute?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian laughed. “Absolutely,” he said, dropping his bag and weapon and lying on the forest floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Kurt and Sebastian leaned against the wide trunk of a tree. They’d fashioned a sort of fort out of branches and leaves, concealing them from anyone who might walk by. Sebastian put his shirt back on now that it was evening and the temperature was dropping.  Sebastian had laid out everything in his backpack on the ground-one sleeping bag, twine(some of which they’d used for their shelter), the large water bottle with a filter, a box of crackers, a flashlight, sunscreen and bug repellant, flint and steel, and a tarp.

Kurt was endlessly grateful that Sebastian had found him and was sharing supplies. Kurt wouldn’t have gotten far at all with just his knife.

 _But do I_ want _to get far?_ He wondered. When he’d been in his tube being lifted up to his pedestal, he’d told himself that he was okay with dying early. He would be grateful if his death were quick and not entirely humiliating. He wanted to spare his family back home from any unnecessary pain. They’d already said goodbye to him, and hopefully accepted that he was going to die. He didn’t want his death to be drawn out or rubbed in their faces.

Now that he had an ally, however, he had a much better chance at getting into the later days of the Games. The scarier days. Once tributes survived into the final six or so, they became more ferocious. When they had a real chance of winning, when their hope of going home was not in vain anymore, they fought for the prize that much harder.

Kurt did not want to become one of those people. And if he had to die to avoid it, then he would die.

“Sebastian?” Kurt said quietly. It was starting to get dark, and suddenly the wide, wet forest seemed scarier than it had earlier, full of surprises and uncertainty. Kurt didn’t want to speak too loudly.

“Yeah?” Sebastian answered, his tone matching Kurt’s.

“What’s it like, being a Car-um, coming from District 4?”

Sebastian settled in against the tree trunk, picking up the steel from next to the flint and using it to clean his fingernails. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…what’s it like, there? And don’t you, um, train for the Games?”

Sebastian shrugged. “Well, it’s not technically for the Games. I mean, they say that, because Panem law says we can’t be prepared prior to the Games. But…yes, we do have a lot of _training_.”

“What’s it like?” Kurt asked, morbidly curious.

“It’s a lot of physical work. Exercise and strength-building. Then we can also, you know, try out weapons. Work with personal trainers and what not.”

Kurt bit his lip. “So are you, like, trained with a weapon?”

Sebastian half-shrugged. “I’ve played with several different types. I’m probably best with a spear.”

Kurt glanced at the club that was leaning up again the trunk next to Sebastian. Kurt could distinctly remember seeing a spear at the Cornucopia, not right in the mouth but pretty close. Yet Sebastian hadn’t gotten his hands on it…

“It’s not just that, though.” Sebastian went on, even though Kurt hadn’t asked for more. “It’s sort of…psychological, too. The Hunger Games are a big deal in my district. They’re talked about throughout the year. In training, and even just in school…they sort of try to prepare you for it, mentally, I guess. The way they talk about the victors, and the dead tributes…”

Kurt didn’t know what to say. District 8 mostly tried to forget about the Hunger Games when they could. It was difficult to forget about such a thing, though. Kurt thought back to his earlier musings. “Sebastian…” he began, unsure of how he could phrase the question. “How do you feel about…killing people?”

Sebastian looked over at Kurt, their eyes meeting in the dissipating light. “In the Games, or in the real world?” he asked.

Kurt’s eyebrows furrowed. “Is there a difference?”

Sebastian smiled sadly. “There’s all the difference in the world, sweetie.”

Kurt didn’t have a response for that. They were quiet for a while, snacking on crackers and listening to the quiet forest. Finally it became completely dark, the cold surrounding them so that Sebastian donned his jacket. They heard the Panem anthem play and looked up through the leaves to read who had died that day.

Kurt wondered how long it would be until he was only a hologram in the arena sky.


	5. Chapter 5

The arena seemed to be a climate of greatly varying temperature, because it was getting colder by the second.

Kurt and Sebastian agreed to take turns sleeping. Sebastian opted to stay awake first. Kurt, therefore, curled up in the sleeping bag and attempted to drift off.

He was distracted, though, by Sebastian. The other boy kept noisily rubbing his hands together, rustling his jacket, or humming to himself. Kurt tried to ignore him, but it was difficult. After a bit Kurt heard a rattling sound, which worried him-what sort of animal made that noise? When he cracked his eyes open and glanced at Sebastian, though, he realized it wasn’t an animal- Sebastian’s teeth were chattering wildly.

“Oh, my gosh,” Kurt whispered.

Sebastian looked down at him. “W-what?” he asked.

“You must be freezing,” Kurt said. He pulled his hand out of the sleeping bag and found it enveloped by frigid air-the sleeping bag must have been incredibly well-insulated, because Kurt felt fine while tucked inside of it.

“I’m f-f-fine,” Sebastian argued, but his rattling teeth gave him away. Kurt sat up and unzipped the top of the sleeping bag.

“Come on,” he said. “Get in here with me.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Are you off-fering to s-sleep with me, K-k-kurt?”

His come-on sounded pitiful without his usually-suave voice. “Come on,” Kurt repeated.

Sebastian shook his head, serious now. “I won’t be an-ny use f-fighting of-ff someone if I’m s-s-stuck in there.”

Kurt’s expression was unyielding. “You won’t be any use if you freeze to death, either. Get in, Sebastian.”

Unable to fight Kurt’s logic, Sebastian complied. He slid into the sleeping bag next to Kurt and zipped it back up and well as he could. It was a tight fit, but their body heat would help them even more. Sebastian kept one hand peeking out of the bag, tightly gripping his club.

“That’s better,” Kurt said, trying to figure out how to get comfortable. He finally accepted that he’d have to essentially spoon Sebastian while sleeping. “Wake me up in a few hours.”

“Will do,” Sebastian replied, his jaw muscles now under control. “No funny business, Kurt.”

Kurt smiled sleepily. “You’re the one who has to keep his hands to himself,” he countered without thinking. At what point had he become comfortable enough with Sebastian’s flirting to respond in turn? He didn’t know, and the fatigue filling his mind like fog didn’t allow him to ponder it. Kurt let sleep take him, ready to dream of somewhere else.


	6. Chapter 6

Several hours later, Kurt leaned against the tree, his eyes straining against the darkness. The lower half of his body was still in the sleeping bag, his torso covered by both his and Sebastian’s jackets. Keeping watch was terrifying. Any semblance of security that he’d had during the day was leeched away in the darkness, without Sebastian to protect him. Kurt kept a careful hold on his knife, but he knew he wasn’t particularly adept with the weapon. Sure, he could slash at someone if they came close, but long range? He didn’t have a chance.

Kurt heard a cannon in the grey pre-dawn. He wondered who had died-they wouldn’t find out until that night. Kurt shuddered, but not because of the cold. That night seemed like a long way away. Could he survive another full day?

When the sun began to rise, Kurt shook Sebastian awake. He opened his eyes groggily and looked up at Kurt. “Ah…” he mumbled. “What a nice view to wake up to.”

Kurt ignored him, returning his jacket and wriggling out of the sleeping bag. “Someone died an hour ago. Nothing else happened, though.”

Sebastian yawned and sat up, the material of the sleeping bag pooling around his waist. He stretched his arms up, tugging his shirt upwards and revealing his stomach. “I’m hungry,” he said.

Kurt nodded. His stomach had been growling all night. “Me too.”

“Can you hunt?” Sebastian asked.

Kurt shook his head. “Can you?”

Sebastian looked unsure. “Well, maybe. But not with this thing.” He gestured to his club.

Kurt nodded, considering. “You need a spear, don’t you?”

“That’d be best. Even then, I’m probably better at fishing than hunting anyway.”

Kurt thought for a moment, his empty stomach grumbling. “Who’s to say there aren’t fish in the arena?”

“Maybe,” Sebastian allowed. “If there’s a larger water source.”

They made a plan, then: Kurt sawed a branch off of the tree sheltering them and began to sharpen the tip of it, making Sebastian a makeshift spear. Sebastian packed all of their things back into the backpack.

Once Sebastian had his wooden spear, they moved on, tearing down their fort so that no one else could use it. They’d sleep somewhere else that night.

As they walked, looking for signs of water, Kurt examined the plants around them. He’d spend quite a bit of time at the edible plants station during training, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to learn how to hunt in a few days. He recognized some of the plants, but not all of them. He kept his eyes out for anything useful.

They seemed to hit the jackpot, though, when they heard rushing water in the distance. “A river,” Sebastian whispered. They sped up, jogging until they pushed through the trees and found a large stream. Kurt looked around and then realized that the banks were surrounded by blackberry bushes. “Perfect,” he muttered.

Kurt stayed along the banks, gathering berries and carefully avoiding the spiky stems. Sebastian rolled up his pants to his knees and waded into the stream with his spear, then stood still and watched the water intently. Every once in a while Kurt head a quick splash as Sebastian thrust the spear into the water.

For a moment, he felt almost peaceful.

Then the first arrow came. 


	7. Chapter 7

The arrow flew by Kurt, missing him by only a few inches. “Sebastian-“ he began softly, unsure of whether the other boy had heard the arrow whiz by over the sound of the stream.

“Wha-“ Sebastian’s question is cut off into a strangled cry as an arrow flies past him next, grazing the side of his ribcage but not hitting him full on. “Get down!” he orders in an urgent whisper, as if being quiet will save them now.

Kurt quickly complies, falling to the ground. Sebastian is still in the creek, on his knees, clutching his spear. He looks around, examining the forest around them.

A third arrow shoots out of the underbrush on the far side of the creek, headed for Kurt. He instinctually rolls to his side, so it misses him completely. This arrow, however, gave away their attacker’s position. Sebastian began to slowly crawl across the stream to the other side, holding his spear above the water and trying not to make too much noise. They don’t know how much of themselves is visible to the other tribute.

Finally, once Sebastian is crawling onto the banks of the other side, a fourth arrow flies out. Once again, it aims for Kurt. Kurt manages to avoid it(barely), but this has given them the tipoff that they need. The assailant can’t see Sebastian, or they’d be shooting at him as he approaches.

Sebastian silently moves towards the bushes, but Kurt sees him pause. Kurt doesn’t blame him-once he moves into the undergrowth he’s not going to have the upperhand. Kurt gets an idea, and prays for a fifth arrow.

By some miracle, it comes, just as Sebastian began moving towards the forest again. In the split second between seeing it and acting, Kurt knows that this might not work. He has to pull it off effortlessly.

The shooter has fair aim. As Kurt saw the arrow flying towards him he moved only slightly in his position on the ground, praying that it was enough. The arrow impales itself in the ground just to his left, his body hiding it from the other side of the river. “Aaarg!” Kurt cries out in fake pain. It must be effective because Sebastian looks up, his face worried. Kurt makes the noise again, rolling onto his side and facing the stream. Sebastian can see from his vantage point that Kurt hasn’t been wounded, and Kurt fervently hopes that he just plays along.

Groaning, Kurt hears movement in the bushes. The attacker thinks he’s been hit, and is hopefully coming to finish him off. Sebastian’s head turns towards the bushes, and the crouches, prepared to attack. _Good_ , Kurt thinks. _He understands._

A girl with long black hair comes running out of the bushes, and Sebastian strikes.

His makeshift spear shoots forward, propelled by the strength in Sebastian’s muscled arm. The girl never even saw him-she’d been too intent on getting to Kurt. Kurt saw her choked gasp as the spear pierced her right between her shoulder blades, her expression shock twisted into pain. She fell to the ground, spear sticking straight out of her. She did not struggle. A cannon sounded, and she was dead.

Sebastian and Kurt were both silent for a moment. They didn’t hear anyone else around them-it seemed as though they were safe for the moment.

Sebastian walked forward to where she lay, on the banks of the river, and pulled his spear out of her. The sound of it made Kurt want to vomit. It was dripping in blood, stained for almost half a foot up.

Sebastian sighed. “Let’s go,” he told Kurt, who nodded slowly.


	8. Chapter 8

After refilling their water bottle and collecting the fish and berries they’d gotten(Sebastian had caught three fish, which wasn’t half bad, and they had handfuls of berries), they headed out, carefully avoiding the girl’s body( _Tina_ , Kurt remembered her name was. She’d been from an outlying district. Twelve, perhaps). They went into the forest where Tina had emerged, hoping to find any supplies she’d left behind.

Sebastian’s shirt was beginning to soak through with blood on his left side. Kurt had taken the backpack and club from him, leaving him only the spear. Walking appeared painful for him, but Sebastian insisted that they look for Tina’s things before stopping to examine the wound. Kurt bit his lip, worrying.

They reached a clearing not too far from the stream. “If she was camped out, this is where she’d’ve been,” Sebastian said.

Kurt nodded. “I don’t see anything, though.”

Sebastian nodded, idly holding a hand to his bleeding side. He looked all around, but there was no sign of a camp. He sighed. “I guess we’ll just have to move on. Find a new place to stay.”

Kurt glanced around. He was confused-Tina had been smart, he’d remembered that much from the interviews. She would have known to have a good shelter near water and food. She would have known to stay hidden…

A thought dawned on Kurt. Slowly, he looked up, and turned around, examining the canopy above. Then he saw it.

“Sebastian…” he whispered. “Look.”

Kurt pointed, and Sebastian followed the direction of his finger.

Above them in one of the trees was a sort of platform, weaved tightly together by branches several inches in diameter. It must have taken a full day to make-which, Kurt reasoned, meant that Tina hadn’t even spent a whole day in it. It was fastened onto the tree’s branches with vines, plants, and fabric. Apparently Tina had not been equipped with rope. She hadn’t needed it, though. The treehouse she’d made was perfect.

“How much do you want to bet,” Sebastian said, staring at the structure, “That she’s got supplies stashed up there?”

“Let’s find out,” Kurt answered, heading towards the tree. He didn’t really have any climbing experience, but it didn’t look too hard. He hoisted himself up, reaching for a higher branch and pulling himself further up. Below him, Sebastian reached for the branch he’d vacated.

Sebastian gasped in pain. Quickly, Kurt looked down. No one else was there, though-Sebastian’s wounded torso just couldn’t take the exertion of tree-climbing.

“Okay,” Kurt said. “We’ve got to fix you up before we go up here.”

Kurt climbed back down, meeting Sebastian on the ground. He was grimacing.

“Sit down,” Kurt ordered. Sebastian looked slightly surprised at Kurt’s commanding tone, but did as he was told. Kurt squatted next to him. Sebastian still cradled the bloody stain on his shirt. Kurt took a deep breath. “Come on,” he said. “Shirt off.”

Sebastian managed to smirk. “You’re so aggressive,” he commented. “I like that. Makes me wonder…”

“Shut up, Sebastian.”

Laughing, Sebastian gingerly took off his shirt, revealing his tan, strong torso. Kurt fixed his eyes on the wounded side and mentally ordered himself not to let them wander over to Sebastian’s impressive pecs or abs.

The arrow had sliced through the flesh between two of Sebastian’s ribs, leaving a not-too-deep but certainly not shallow cut a few inches long. A trail of blood oozed from it, leading downwards to the waistband of Sebastian’s pants. Kurt took a deep breath. “We need to clean it.”

Sebastian nodded, allowing Kurt to take water from their bottle and pour it over the cut. They didn’t have any gauze, so Kurt ripped off a strip on the bottom of his shirt and tied it snugly around Sebastian’s chest, hopefully staunching the bleeding.

“Feel better?” Kurt asked, and it was at that point that he realized just how close he was to Sebastian, their faces inches away and his hand still on the boy’s bare chest.

“A bit,” Sebastian replied. He smiled slightly. “Come on, sexy, let’s go hang out in our new tree house.”


	9. Chapter 9

They managed to get up to the platform in the tree. There was another water bottle, a blanket, and a bag of dried fruits. The platform was impressively sturdy-like walking on a rather uneven hardwood floor. Kurt sat on the edge of it, his feet dangling over the ground many yards below, and said a silent thank you to Tina. She’d been clever and talented, and Kurt suddenly found himself wishing that she wasn’t dead, because he sort of wanted to get to know her.

But she had to be dead, Kurt reminded himself. Because otherwise _he_ would be dead.

Kurt turned around and looked at Sebastian, who was resting against the trunk. “Were you a volunteer?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian’s gaze moved to Kurt. He seemed to think for a moment about a question that was pretty simple. “No, not really.”

“Not _really?_ ” Kurt didn’t see how that was possible. “Anyway, aren’t there always volunteers in District Four?”

Sebastian sighed. “Look, my name was picked at the reaping. And even if it hadn’t been, I probably would have volunteered.”

Kurt’s eyebrows drew together. “But, why didn’t anyone volunteer after you were picked?”

Sebastian looked away, his eyes flitting over the forest that they now had an aerial view of. “It’s complicated.”

Kurt got the sense that Sebastian wasn’t going to elaborate easily. He pulled his legs back up onto the branches and crawled towards Sebastian. He sat, cross-legged, in front of the other boy. “How so?” he asked quietly, cocking his head to the side.

Kurt had Sebastian’s full attention now, which was gratifying. Sebastian opened his mouth but didn’t speak at first, just looking at Kurt. Finally, he sighed. “I was kind of _supposed_ to be in the Games. I mean…” he seemed reluctant. “I’m the mayor’s son. I’m kind of important, politically, I guess. But I’ve never volunteered. This was my last year. I had to volunteer, because I’m from a Career district and the mayor is my father and I need to show my loyalty to the Capitol and…whatever. But it didn’t matter, anyway. They called my name, and no one dared take my place, because I was supposed to go anyway.”

Sebastian looked down. For the first time, Kurt saw something in his expression that wasn’t the arrogant, tough persona Sebastian constantly put on-it was just a boy caught up in something larger than he could comprehend, politics and consequences and expectations that led him to his possible death. Kurt reached forward and took Sebastian’s hand without thinking. Sebastian glanced up, surprised. Kurt encircled Sebastian’s hand with both of his own and squeezed slightly.

“Well,” Kurt said softly, leaning in. “I’m really glad you’re here, personally.”

Sebastian looked from Kurt’s earnest face to their hands and then back. Finally, the faintest of smiles manifested on his face.

“Me too,” he answered, so quietly they were hardly words at all. It didn’t matter, though; Kurt was close enough to read lips.


	10. Chapter 10

They ate berries and fruit and crackers, but didn’t want to leave their tree-top haven to cook the fish(they’d decided that trying to light a fire _in_ a tree was ultimately not worth the risks). It got cold enough at night, though, that the fish would probably keep for another day. As dusk fell, they heard two more cannon shots. Kurt looked at the sky through the leaves, wondering who had died.

“There’s less than half of us left now,” Sebastian observed. Kurt did the math in his head-ten dead at the bloodbath, one cannon before dawn, Tina, and the two new ones. That meant that fourteen tributes had died, and ten remained. Less than half, but still a lot.

Kurt thought about this apprehensively. He felt safe and comfortable, sitting in the tree next to Sebastian. But he knew it couldn’t last. Alliances in the Hunger Games never did last-only one person came out alive, meaning that at least one of them would have to die. Kurt had known from the start that he wasn’t going to make it out, but now it seemed even more painful. Now that he had a friend in the arena, if he could call Sebastian a friend. And knowing that Sebastian might die, too. Knowing that if he did he’d die because no one dared take his place at the reaping in a situation as warped as the Capitol’s sadistic qualities itself.

It made Kurt sick. And it made him angry.

They spread out Tina’s blanket on the branches and lay on it, unzipping the sleeping bag and laying it over them for warmth. They both wore their jackets, but still lay close to eachother as if craving warmth. It became truly dark and the temperature dropped. They heard the Panem anthem play, and watched through the leaves to see who had died that day.

The first face in the sky was that of Karofsky- either the blood loss had killed him, or in his weakened state he’d been easy for another tribute to finish off.

Then came Tina, _District Twelve_ flashing below her name. Kurt looked at her holographic picture longingly, unable to name the strange feeling welling up in his chest.

Then the blonde boy from District 3 and the short brunette girl from 5. Kurt remembered their cannons, one followed immediately by the other. Either they’d killed eachother or they’d formed an alliance and been found by other tributes.

The light in the sky disappeared, leaving Kurt to stare up at the stars. He wondered if he were seeing actual stars or if they, too, were holographs. He hoped they were real. He wanted to see real stars before he died.

Sebastian rolled over so that he faced Kurt. Kurt looked away from the stars and strained to see Sebastian’s face in the darkness.

“Should we keep watch?” Sebastian asked.

Kurt glanced up at the stars before answering. “I don’t think anyone will find us up here. We’re in more danger of rolling off.”

Sebastian smiled, his green eyes light. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll just sleep.”

They both knew that it was probably foolish to both sleep throughout the whole night. Even if they weren’t on the ground and their shelter was well-camouflaged, that didn’t mean they weren’t vulnerable. The Gamemakers could create some sort of disaster in the middle of the night. But neither of the boys really cared. They were both tired of this game, ready to take comfort where they could get it.

So they fell asleep close to eachother, not quite touching but feeling the other’s presence.


	11. Chapter 11

Kurt was woken by soft bird chatter. He cracked his eyes open and was greeted by the sight of the early morning sky, sunlight filtering through the branches above.

It was so beautiful. More beautiful than anything Kurt had ever woken up to in District 8.

He lay there for a moment, eyes half-open, listening to the birdsong. He wanted to savor this moment. He didn’t know how much more time he had left in this life, and he wanted to soak up as much loveliness as he could.

“Morning, gorgeous,” Kurt heard Sebastian say quietly. Opening his eyes fully and turning his head to the side, he saw his ally close next to him, head propped up on his arm, looking down at Kurt and smiling.

“Morning,” Kurt answered. As he examined Sebastian’s face, he thought once again of soaking up beauty.

Sebastian bit his lip. They were so close that Kurt could see every nuance of his expression, every dark fleck in his bright green eyes. They were breathing the very same air. Kurt thought of just how glad he was that he was alive, that they had made it safely through the night. “How’s your cut?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian shrugged. “Doesn’t hurt as bad as yesterday.”

Kurt smiled. “Good. I’m glad.”

“What do you want to do?” Sebastian asked.

“Hmm…stay here forever?”

Sebastian smiled slyly. “I don’t mind hanging around in bed, sweetie.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Funny.”

Sebastian stared at him for a second. He took a deep breath, his green eyes boring into Kurt’s blue ones, and spoke softly in a clear tone. “I can tell you don’t believe me,” he said. “When I call you beautiful.”

Kurt was confused. He shook his head. “What are you-“

“Shh,” Sebastian stopped him. “Don’t argue, just let me talk. When I say you’re sexy or beautiful, you roll your eyes or laugh or ignore me. I know that you think I’m just…teasing, or something. But I’m not. Kurt…you’re the most beautiful boy I’ve ever met.”

Kurt stared back at Sebastian, unsure of what to say. “No one ever called me beautiful before you.”

Sebastian shook his head slightly. “It’s true, Kurt. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“But, Sebastian, you’re…” Kurt struggled for the right word. “You’re stunning. I’m nothing like you.”

Sebastian laughed softly. “Kurt, believe me. It takes one to know one, right?” He smirked, but his eyes were still gentle, insistent. Kurt smiled slowly.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

They lay there for a moment, still covered by the sleeping bag and surrounded by the cool morning air and sunlight. They still breathed the same air, but now it felt charged with a sort of electricity that hadn’t existed there earlier.

“Kurt,” Sebastian said. “Have you ever kissed anyone?”

Kurt’s cheeks colored. “Um, no,” he said, turning his head away from Sebastian, attempting to break the strange connection.

Sebastian reached out with his other hand, taking Kurt’s chin between his thumb and fingers, turning the boy’s face back to him. Kurt blushed more at the touch, but still made eye contact.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Sebastian said, smiling slightly. “It’s everyone you’ve ever met who should be ashamed for not appreciating _this_.” His eyes roamed over Kurt’s face, showing just what ‘this’ meant.

Kurt felt his heart start to pound erratically, but he couldn’t tell exactly why. Sebastian was confusing him, but in the moment, he was very happy to be confused.

“Sebastian,” he whispered. “What are you doing?”

Green eyes met blue. The electricity crackled between them. Still holding Kurt’s chin, Sebastian leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

“Kurt,” he breathed. “Can I kiss you?”

Kurt was stunned-by the boy, by the question. By their connected skin. By the electricity.

“Yes.”

Sebastian closed the space between their faces, bringing his lips to Kurt’s. Soft and supple and damp, Kurt sighed at the wonderful feeling of Sebastian’s lips. He arched his neck up to meet them more fully, and felt Sebastian smile against him.

They pulled apart and looked at eachother for a moment.

“Enjoy yourself?” Sebastian asked teasingly.

In reply, Kurt kissed him again. This was not a first kiss anymore-this was coming back for more. Sebastian moved his hand to cup Kurt’s cheek, Kurt opening his mouth in a silent plea for _more._ Lips became entangled with tongues , pushing and pulling and swirling. Sebastian sucked gently on Kurt’s lower lip and Kurt gasped. Kurt’s arms wound around Sebastian’s neck and Sebastian lay back, allowing Kurt to move over him, the sleeping bag twisting with their adjustments. The previously cool morning suddenly felt sweltering.

Finally, panting, Kurt pulled away from Sebastian, hovering over him.

“Yes,” he answered breathily. “I enjoyed myself.”

Sebastian laughed loudly, breaking the whisper-cast spell they’d created. Kurt sat up, the sleeping bag slipping off of him. He stretched and looked down over the forest, but saw nothing unusual. He turned to Sebastian, who had propped himself up again, lounging across their blanket.

“What do you think about fish for breakfast?” Kurt asked.


	12. Chapter 12

The boys climbed down to the ground and started a fire. Sebastian held the fish over it, skewered on his spear, while Kurt kept an eye out of other tributes, tightly clenching his knife. They shared a fish, which seemed incredibly delicious, but Kurt knew it was just because he hadn’t had a proper meal since he’d been spoiled at the Capitol.

Once they finished and stamped out their fire, they went back up to their tree house. They were content to wait for something to happen instead of seeking out excitement. Neither of them said anything, but they both felt as though they wanted to stay the hunted, not the hunters. Kurt thought back to Tina, her mangled expression as Sebastian’s spear pierced her skin. Sebastian had killed a girl. That morning, Kurt had kissed a _murderer_.

But then Kurt recalled his conversation with Sebastian the first night in the arena. “ _There’s all the difference in the world_ ,” Sebastian had said. Was it murder when you had no choice?

Tina hadn’t had a choice either.

Kurt leaned his head on Sebastian’s shoulder. His unspoken need for comfort was picked up by Sebastian, who took Kurt’s hand and traced shapes on it with his thumb. They sat in silence, contemplating. Kurt wanted to stop time. He didn’t want to think about how he would be dead soon, and more likely than not, so would the boy next to him. The nicest boy he’d ever met. But the thoughts couldn’t be avoided. What else was there to think about?

The boys heard a cannon in the distance. Kurt flinched, sitting up and pulling away from Sebastian.

They were quiet for another moment before Kurt turned to Sebastian and, as though almost didn’t dare to say it, whispered, “Sebastian, are you afraid to die?”

Kurt regretted asking almost immediately-that wasn’t the kind of thing you ask in the Games. To be afraid is to be a traitor. To fear your supposed sacrifice is to be ungrateful. But what does it matter, Kurt figured, if he’s going to die anyway? He might as well die a dissident.

Sebastian stared straight ahead, seeming as though he wasn’t going to acknowledge Kurt’s question. Then he nodded his head infinitesimally.

Kurt reached for Sebastian’s hand and squeezed it, silently agreeing. It was at that moment that he became sure they were safe with eachother. Come what may in the game, he and Sebastian would not betray eachother.

Two more canons went off, one right after another.

“How many is that?” Sebastian asked.

Kurt tallied in his head. “Seventeen dead. Seven alive.”

Sebastian nodded. “So, five others.”

Kurt shivered slightly, knowing that the remaining tributes were mostly Careers. Trained to kill.

“Sebastian,” he said, trying to decide how to word what had been on his mind since the first day of the Games.

“Yeah?”

“Why’d you pick me as an ally?”

Sebastian turned to him and grinned. “I told you, only the _best_ for me.”

Kurt shook his head. “No, I mean…you’re from Four. You’d be welcomed in the Career pack. But you ran at the bloodbath. You didn’t even…I know that there was a spear there, near the Cornucopia. A real, metal spear, that you could’ve done real damage with. But you didn’t stick around. Why?”

Sebastian stared at Kurt for a moment, his expression unreadable. He sighed and chuckled. “You know what, Kurt?”

“What?”

“I knew you were pretty, but I didn’t expect you to be so smart.”

Kurt smiled, but waited for an answer. Sebastian sighed again.

“I know I could have been with the Careers, but…I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to spend my last days with a bunch of bloodthirsty killers. A bunch of…pawns, in the Games. Acting just how they’re supposed to. I didn’t want to be a part of that.”

Kurt stared at Sebastian’s clear, green eyes. He knew that back in District Four, the mayor was staring at a screen and looking at his son with disgust.

Kurt leaned forward, pressing his lips to Sebastian’s cheek. “You’re not one of them,” he assured the boy.

Now they’d both be dying dissidents.


	13. Chapter 13

The tender moment was interrupted by a noise.

Kurt and Sebastian both whipped their heads to the side, looking down. No one was in the clearing, but they both heard it: someone was running through the forest, approaching them.

Sebastian reached over and grabbed his spear, Kurt pulling the knife from his belt. _This could be it_ , he thought. _Please don’t let them see us. Please don’t let it be the Careers._

Only five other tributes remained. Kurt knew that once again, the odds were not in his favor.

Both boys lay flat on the platform, peeking over into the clearing, silent. The sound of footfalls came closer. Finally, a figure broke through the foliage and into the clearing.

Kurt recognized her. Santana, the girl from Sebastian’s district. A Career.

He gulped.

Santana paused, bending over and resting her hands on her knees, panting heavily. She’d clearly been running for a while. Kurt was puzzled-if she was a Career, why did it seem like she’d been running _from_ something? Thoughts flashed through Kurt’s mind: Gamemaker-created disasters, animals, _mutts_ , a split in the Career alliance…

He prayed for a schism, because all the other options meant that he and Sebastian were in immediate danger.

But as they lay there, still and silent, nothing happened. Santana continued to catch her breath. A short sword, covered in blood, was stuck in her belt. She didn’t have a backpack or any other sort of supplies.

Wherever she’d been, she must have left in a hurry. And she’d killed someone recently.

Kurt considered that maybe he shouldn’t be so worried about what Santana had run from, and start worrying about Santana herself.

Kurt reached out his hand and found Sebastian’s, entwining their fingers. Sebastian squeezed his hand.

Santana stood up to her full length and glanced around. Kurt’s heart pounded so heavily he feared she would be able to hear it. His grip on Sebastian’s hand tightened.

Santana looked up, and her gaze landed on their platform. She narrowed her eyes, and put her hand to the hilt of her sword.

Fast as lightning, Sebastian sprang up, his spear at the ready, pulling Kurt with him by their joined hands.

There was a moment of stilted silence. The tributes stared eachother down, Santana’s sword half-out of her belt, Sebastian’s spear aimed straight at her. Kurt knew that swords were much harder to throw long-distance, but what if Sebastian’s homemade, wooden spear didn’t kill her? Then they’d be doomed.

Santana stared at Sebastian, then at Kurt. Her eyes rested between them, then, on their intertwined fingers. Something in her expression changed, hardened.

She let go of her sword, letting it slide back down so the hilt rested on her hip. She held her hands up slowly, a sign of surrender. “This time, Smythe,” she said coldly, staring at Sebastian. “This time I’m letting you go. You won’t be so lucky again.”

Sebastian nodded slowly, keeping eye contact with her. He lowered his spear, but didn’t let go of Kurt’s hand.

Santana, her arms still raised, backed out of the clearing, never looking away from the boys. She slid back into the underbrush, hidden by branches and leaves and bushes, and they heard her footsteps and she ran away.

Kurt finally looked at Sebastian. “Why’d she let us go?” he asked.

Sebastian still stared at the spot where she’d disappeared. “I don’t know,” he said, then turned to meet Kurt’s eyes. “But I’m glad she did.”

He brought Kurt’s hand up to his lips and kissed it.


	14. Chapter 14

Kurt was re-bandaging Sebastian’s cut that afternoon when he suggested it. He’d been turning the idea over in his mind all day, and finally decided to voice it.

“Do you want to go have a picnic somewhere?”

Sebastian raised one of his eyebrows. “Somewhere besides here?”

“Yeah,” Kurt said.

Sebastian looked dubious, and Kurt didn’t blame him. It was a foolhardy plan to leave their perfectly good hiding place for something as dumb as a picnic.

But Kurt knew that their time was coming to an end, and suddenly a picnic meant more to him than anything ever had before. He just wanted to savor the time he had. “Santana knows where we are now,” Kurt pointed out, trying to justify his idea. “She let us go once, but said she wouldn’t next time. And if she’s with the Careers…it might not be a good idea to stick around here.”

Sebastian glanced down at the clearing below them, as if looking for intruders. “She didn’t _seem_ like she was with the Careers,” he said, but there was doubt in his voice. Kurt leaned in so that he caught Sebastian’s full gaze.

“I’m hungry,” Kurt told him. “We need more food now anyway. And…doesn’t a picnic sound nice?”

Sebastian stared at Kurt’s face. A wave of understanding seemed to pass over him. Slowly, he nodded. “A picnic. That sounds great.”

The boys slowly gathered their things. They reapplied sunscreen and bug repellant. Kurt used his knife to re-sharpen Sebastian’s spear, which was still partially stained with Tina’s dried blood. Kurt held his nose as he scraped his knife along it, honing the tip.

Kurt shouldered the pack and they decided to leave the club behind-it wasn’t a weapon suited to either of them, and no one was likely to find it up in the tree.

They climbed down. When Kurt reached the bottom and let go, jumping the last yard, his feet hit a ground with a note of finality.

Kurt lead the way into the forest, their roles reversed from when they’d met so few days ago. It felt like a lifetime, though.

The canopy above them and the dense shrubbery surrounding them seemed to trap in heat, causing both boys to start sweating within minutes. _Had it been this hot before?_ Kurt wondered, thinking that perhaps their aerial hideaway had given them a respite from the stifling forest.

Kurt could tell that Sebastian was in pain-the exertion was causing his wound to reopen, blood once again seeping through his shirt. Kurt hoped they’d find a good place to stop soon.

As they walked Kurt spied out edible plants and picked them when he could reach them-berries that he knew were safe, mint leaves, honeysuckle. He carried them carefully, because they meant more to him than just necessary sustenance.

After a while of trudging through the underbrush Sebastian asked that they take a break. He sat down on a fallen tree and Kurt glanced around apprehensively. He, too, was feeling drained. He’d headed away from the river, hoping that by going further from the center of the arena they could avoid other tributes. Now he was regretting it-they almost drained a whole water bottle as they rested, and heat exhaustion was a very real threat at this point. They slathered on more sunscreen to replace what they’d sweated off, and Kurt tightened the strip of fabric around Sebastian’s torso before they moved on.

Kurt’s legs ached and his throat was becoming increasingly dry, and he was just considering whether they should rest again when he heard it.

Pausing, he turned around to Sebastian. “Seb,” he said quietly. “Do you hear that?”

Sebastian paused, breathing heavily. He listened, and a slow grin appeared on his face. “Water,” he said gratefully.

With new motivation, the boys pushed through the foliage, the sound getting louder, until finally Kurt pushed out a branch-

And revealed a small, shrubby field, a stream of water running along the opposite side.

Kurt almost whooped in triumph before remembering that they didn’t want to draw attention to each other. Kurt turned back and took Sebastian’s hand, pulling him forward. “Come on,” he said excitedly. “It’s perfect.”


	15. Chapter 15

“You’re beautiful.”

Kurt smiled and wrinkled his nose, which was tip-to-tip with Sebastian’s. They were so close that Kurt couldn’t clearly see Sebastian’s whole face, just an extreme close-up. “Prove it,” he challenged.

Sebastian closed the tiny distance between them, kissing Kurt softly. Every kiss felt better than the last. Kurt wanted to kiss Sebastian forever.

The boys were lying on their blanket, which was spread out among the shrubs in their field. Food packaging and discarded fish bones were piled on the edge of the blanket. Fresh water from the stream-possibly a fork from the same one they’d fished in-was being purified in their filtered water bottles. The field was perfect-foliage still tall enough to partly conceal them, but leaving the sky visible for them. It was cooler outside of the oppressive trees, comfortably warm. Sebastian had taken off his shirt, and now, as they lay on their sides facing eachother, Kurt traced lazy circles on his rib cage, carefully avoiding his wound. Sebastian rested his hand on Kurt’s waist, fingers splayed under his T-shirt to caress his smooth, bare skin. Their legs were tangled together, their faces centimeters away. Their weapons lay abandoned in the grass.

Sebastian bit his lip and Kurt couldn’t help but admire it and considered whether he should kiss him again. However, then Sebastian spoke, his tone hesitant. “Kurt, I…I’m so glad we met.”

Kurt’s kiss-cloudy mind cleared for a moment. What at first glance seemed like a simple, sweet compliment carried more weight behind it.

“Are you really?” Kurt asked, pulling away ever-so-slightly so that he could see Sebastian’s face.

“Of course,” Sebastian answered, this time with resolve. He didn’t even need to hear Kurt say it back, and that was one of the things that Kurt was coming to love about him-he was sure of his feelings and unafraid of them, regardless of what other people thought.

“But…” Kurt started, unsure still of how he wanted to express his thought. “But if we weren’t _here_ , we wouldn’t have met.”

Sebastian tilted away from Kurt, lying on his back and staring at the sky. The sun was beginning to go down. “I stopped thinking about ‘what if’s a long time ago.”

Kurt studied the outline of Sebastian’s profile, the greenery behind him a complimentary background. They were quiet for a while. “But don’t you wish you weren’t here?” Kurt asked.

The dying sunlight was reflected in Sebastian’s eyes. “I’d be here no matter what. There’s no ‘what if’ or wishing involved.” He turned his head back to Kurt then, his eyes bright. “But, Kurt…you’re more than I could have wished for.”

In that moment, Kurt didn’t care that he was in the Hunger Games either. He didn’t care about the Capitol or Sebastian’s father or the other children somewhere in the woods, stalking them.

Because suddenly, for the first time, it felt worth it.

Kurt breached the space between them and captured Sebastian’s lips between his own.

Sebastian accepted the kiss hungrily, opening his mouth immediately. Kurt rolled towards the other boy, trying to get on top of him, but stopped abruptly when Sebastian broke off their kiss with a pained gasp. “My cut,” he breathed apologetically. Undeterred, Kurt rolled the other way and pulled Sebastian on top of himself. They resumed kissing, Kurt’s hands roaming Sebastian’s bare back and chest. Sebastian’s mouth slipped from Kurt’s but continued down his jaw to his neck, leaving Kurt gasping.

“Sebastian…” he murmured as the other boy reached his collarbone, kissing a line across the collar of his T-shirt. 

Sebastian returned to Kurt’s face then, taking a moment to examine his face before leaning in near his ear to whisper. “You.” He placed a kiss next to Kurt’s ear. “Are.” His lips touched Kurt’s jaw. “So.” Kurt’s cheek. “Beautiful.” Finally, their lips connected.

Shivers ran down Kurt’s spine, the ghost of Sebastian’s breath still tickling his cheek. He tangled his hands in Sebastian’s hair, pulling the boy closer and deepening their kiss. Sebastian gripped Kurt firmly on his ribs, keeping him secure and safe, protecting him from anything that might come their way.

Finally, the boys collapsed onto their backs on the blanket, looking up at the now-starry sky, breathing heavily, mouths swollen. Sebastian reached down and took Kurt’s hand, entwining their fingers, and squeezed it. Kurt rolled into Sebastian’s arms, their bodies flush to eachother, so close they could feel the other’s heartbeat. They lay there together, not speaking, until they fell asleep. It was the happiest Kurt had ever felt in his whole life.

They didn’t even stay awake to see who’d died that day.


	16. Chapter 16

When Kurt opened his eyes the next morning, he was astounded by the beauty he witnessed. The sun was coming up, sending streaks of color across the sky, illuminating the forest which, now that he was out of it, seemed much more attractive.

But looks can be deceiving, and Kurt realized this when Sebastian screamed.

They were still wrapped up in eachother’s arms, so close that Kurt not only heard the shriek but _felt_ it. It rattled his body as if it were his own.

Kurt sat straight up, half-pulling Sebastian with him, eyes searching for danger. And he found it. Sitting next to Sebastian’s calf, fangs still dripping with his blood, was a dark green snake.

Kurt stared at the snake and the snake seemed to stare back, hypnotizing him, for an everlasting moment. Then Kurt heard it. The overwhelming tidal wave sound of _hissing_.

His eyes left Sebastian’s attacker to see that it had friends. _Many_ friends. Thirty feet away and growing ever closer, the entire ground seemed to be alive with serpents, making a beeline for Kurt and Sebastian, following the scout that had torn a chunk off of Sebastian’s leg.

Perhaps Kurt screamed then, too-it was hard for him to tell over the apocalyptic noise of the snakes.

Kurt leaped up, wrenching at Sebastian’s arm and starting to run, dragging the other boy along. Adrenaline flooded through Kurt’s veins. The previous day he thought he’d accepted the fact of his imminent death, but things were different when a swarm of bloodthirsty, likely genetically engineered snakes were approaching him at an alarming pace. All his instincts told him to _run_.

It was hard, though, with Sebastian attached to his wrist. Sebastian was yelping as they scrambled up, Kurt already spying the closest tree and praying that these creatures couldn’t climb.

“ _Kurt!_ ” Sebastian cried out as they finally got moving, away from the blanket and their supplies and the snakes and back towards the forest.

“ _Run!_ ” Kurt screamed over the snakes, as if Sebastian didn’t know what to do. Still, the boy was far too lethargic for their plight. “Come _on_ , Sebastian, _please!_ ”

“Kurt…” Sebastian panted as he tripped over himself, letting Kurt pull him. “Kurt, it _burns._ ” His voice was full of pain.

And that’s when Kurt realized that these snakes, mutts, whatever they were…they were poisonous. Knowing the Gamemakers, _highly_ poisonous. Sebastian had already been bitten. The toxins were swimming through his veins, heading towards his vital organs, preparing to destroy his body. Kurt knew how to treat a snakebite. Immediately suck out the poison.

But immediately was not an option. The snakes were on their heels, closing the distance between them, slithering over the grassy land that had only hours ago been their haven. And the closest tree was still too far away, unreachable.

“ _Sebastian_ ,” Kurt croaked as he realized how dire their situation really was, his voice breaking. He tugged hopelessly at the boy’s arm, knowing that they couldn’t make it together but unable to let go.

He couldn’t leave Sebastian behind. They’d made an unspoken pact in their days together that they wouldn’t betray eachother. And to leave one behind was a betrayal.

Sebastian, completely unable to support himself on his bitten leg, tripped and fell to the ground, jerking Kurt down with him.

The hissing grew louder, closer. Sebastian looked up and met Kurt’s eyes. “Go.” He said. He released his grip on Kurt’s arm, but Kurt’s hand stayed firmly around Sebastian’s wrist. “ _Go!_ ” Sebastian repeated, more insistently.

“Sebastian…” Kurt whispered, staring into those green eyes that had become his world.

The snakes reached them, and Kurt was still looking at Sebastian when the first snake bit him.

He cried out, breaking eye contact with Sebastian, and another snake found his thigh, fangs ripping through the fabric of his pants and piercing his flesh. Moaning in pain, Kurt fell onto his back, the colorful, blood-red sky blurring above him.

The snakes dispersed. Kurt knew for sure then that they had been mutts, sent on a mission to finish the tributes and then retracted.

Sebastian had been right-the wounds burned with a high intensity, as though someone had lit a torch against Kurt’s skin and continued to hold it there. Kurt wanted to scream, to release all of the pain somehow.

His hand was still wrapped around Sebastian’s wrist. With effort he rolled over and found Sebastian lying next to him. “Sebastian,” he said, the name so sacred.

“Kurt,” Sebastian croaked back.

Kurt could feel his heart pounding rapidly from the terror and running. He begged it to slow down, knowing that each pump brought him closer to his final demise. Already the areas in his legs near the bites were going numb, the burning sensation spreading out.

So many times in the last few days-how many had it been? Kurt couldn’t recall-Kurt had thought, _this could be it. I could die now._ This time there was no ‘could.’ This really was the end. And the only thing on Kurt’s mind were Sebastian’s green eyes.

He looked into them now. They were slightly moist, with tears that might never fall. How long did they have? Minutes? Seconds? Kurt needed to make it count.

Kurt reached up to grip Sebastian’s face. “Sebastian…you are the most incredible person…I’ve ever known. And…you’re right. There are no ‘what if’s. There’s just what happens. And it was worth it.”

Sebastian smiled at Kurt, that grin that he’d worn when they first met. “Kurt…I’ll still wish for you.”

Kurt’s entire lower body felt numb, the fire in his veins climbing. He knew that Sebastian had even less time than he did.

Stretching his neck, he closed the distance between them. He pressed his lips to Sebastian’s. They both opened their mouths slightly, responding so that the other would know they were still there. Kurt found Sebastian’s wrist again and held it tenderly. They kissed for far too fleeting a moment. “ _Beautiful_ ,” Sebastian muttered.

Slowly, Kurt felt Sebastian’s arm go limp in his hand. Kurt pulled back and stared at the flawless face he’d memorized over their hours together. The green eyes that were still open but now empty. “You’re beautiful,” Kurt whispered back, kissing Sebastian’s forehead before the burning engulfed him.

Two cannon shots were heard throughout the arena, throughout all of Panem.


	17. Epilogue

Kurt and Sebastian had been a crowd favorite. Alliances and friendships weren’t uncommon in the Games. Romantic love, however, didn’t happen nearly as often. This was the first time most of Panem had seen two people fall in love on screen.

The Capitol citizens liked them simply for that reason. It was a sweet, juicy gossip story with a tragic ending. The kind of movie you’d recommend to a friend. Because they’d died in love, their love was eternal. It was a great story. One of the best Games in years.

For the Districts, though, it was different. The poor, down-trodden, oppressed people of Panem looked up to the boys who had shown their distaste for the Games they were thrust into. Kurt and Sebastian took the horrific tradition and threw it back in the Capitol’s face by finding love and friendship there. They refused to be slaughtered in vain. They didn’t sacrifice themselves for their nation-they sacrificed themselves for love. Their final moments were spoken about for months and even years afterward. Sebastian, telling the boy he loved to leave him behind, willing to lose his life so the other could live; and Kurt, refusing to betray the one he loved, laying down his life so they wouldn’t have to live without eachother.

The Gamemakers, however, didn’t agree. The son of a Career District mayor, saying he was afraid to die? Explaining to the world that he was forced to be in the Games, not that it was an honor?

Well, they simply couldn’t have that. These boys could plant ideas in the heads of people watching. And that…well, it wouldn’t end well.

So they designed a species of particularly aggressive and extremely poisonous serpents, which would instinctively chase after any human. They released them into the field where the boys slept-foolishly, not keeping watch, thought even that couldn’t have saved them. And, just like that, the Gamemakers’ problem was gone.


End file.
